"Rex is Mr. Good Guy to these guys,” Namath said. “He has been. He's been talking about how good they are all the time. He's doing everything to win their favor. He bends over backwards for the guys to be on their side.

"It might work in the long run, I don't know. I just think he's been too darn nice to this team."

Namath apparently believes Ryan’s good-guy approach with his players has led to undisciplined play.

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"These guys aren't as smart as they think they are," Namath said. "They're making too many penalties; they're busting too many assignments. They just haven't been focused the way you need to focus to win consistently in the league."

Namath has been a constant critic of Ryan this season. He believes Ryan has inflated the players’ opinions of themselves, thereby reducing their motivation to prepare.

In late September, Ryan said, “I welcome him to come out here and watch our guys prepare. He would see a team that, in my opinion, prepares as well as any team I’ve been around. So I disagree with him.”